Water management is increasingly important as water supplies continue to be a limited resource for municipal, agricultural, and recreational purposes. Quantifying water supplies remains at the core of water management. However, quantifying water supplies often requires somebody visit the reservoirs and/or feeder streams in the water supply system and physically measure the water level. Of course this can be a time consuming process, particularly when the water supplies are spread out over a large geographic area, or in rough terrain. The water level may vary substantially between visits, making effective water management more difficult.
Accordingly, a number of water measurement devices are available to automatically measure and record water levels. One such device includes a floatation device slidably mounted around a pipe in the water. Fluctuations in the water level cause the floatation device to move up and down along the length of the pipe. The floatation device is connected to a strip chart recorder which produces markings that correspond to the water level indicated by the floatation device. Over time, however, the pipe may become corroded and impair movement of the floatation device. In addition, floatation devices are susceptible to damage and may need to be replaced. A chart house is also needed to protect the strip chart recorder from the environment (e.g., rain, snow, and wind). Furthermore, somebody still needs to visit the chart house periodically to retrieve the strip chart recordings and replace the ink cartridges and strip chart paper.
Ultrasonic measurement devices are also available. However, stray reflections increase the signal noise and decrease the reliability of the reading. Ultrasonic measurement devices depend on the velocity of sound and therefore are also sensitive to air temperature, humidity, and altitude. Measurement devices are also available that use microwaves. However, the electrical power requirements of these devices limit their use to areas with suitable power sources. Other devices may produce inaccurate measurements if the effects of water temperature and conduction (salinity) are not addressed.